Instead The Forest Rose To Sing is the new record from Austin singer-songwriter and poet Danny Schmidt. I add that “poet” tag to separate Danny from the hundreds of singer songwriters and folk artists toiling away in near obscurity whose songs never rise above the mundane and ordinary. As I (and others) have said before Danny is one of the great songwriters working today. Add to that the fact that he plays guitar effortlessly and jawdroppingly well makes anything he does potentially great.
The new record has several songs that will stand the test of time and others that are sleepers that will grow more potent with age. On the new record Danny tackles the question and value of money on several songs. For instance “Better Off Broke”, with it’s lyrics of “You’re better off broke with soup in your belly. Than sittin’ there hungry round a pot of gold”, addresses the age old question of whether money will make you happy. That same theme pops up again on the bank robbery gone bad tale of misfortune “Two Timing Bank Robbers Lament”. Money on a global stage comes into play on one of my favorite songs on the record in “Southland Street”. It’s the story of the rise of industry in the US complete with it’s fall after production moves south and then east. I know that sounds a little dry but the song is at once deeply personal and at the same time universal.
The emotional heart of the record has got to be “Grandpa Built Bridges”. As Danny describes it this is a song on how our urban and technologically advanced culture no longer is in touch with ancient cultures and the ways those cultures dealt with death and dying. Here’s a stanza or two (all of the lyrics as well as a short description of each song can be found here):
Grampa buried dignity when he got old
Like a killer and child now for seven long years
But he wets his own britches if he’s not told
But he used to build bridges, they would light em up at nightGrampa built bridges, they were delicate webs
With ridges and valleys joined hand in hand
When Grandma went empty the last of her days
He told her she’d come and could go with grace
Instead… is out on March 10 on Red House Records and can be pre-ordered here now through Amazon. Danny Schmidt’s official showcase is at The Driskill Hotel on Thursday, March 19.
Here’s one of the sleepers on the new record. It came to life with incredible force this weekend at the house concert we hosted with Danny Schmidt and Pokey Lafarge.
Bonus:
Southland Street (live at Cactus Club)
